Shorthanded Hofstra Prevails in Overtime to Win Third-Straight CAA Men’s Soccer Title
Miles McQuiggan
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (Nov. 11, 2023) – The Hofstra men’s soccer team withstood an equalizer late in regulation and playing with 10 men for all of overtime to win its third-straight CAA Men’s Soccer Championship and seventh overall, defeating Monmouth 2-1 in overtime on Saturday night at the Hofstra Soccer Stadium.
Eliot Goldthorp scored the go-ahead goal in the 96
th minute on a free kick from the top of the box on Hofstra’s final shot attempt of the night, in a game Monmouth held a 23-7 shot advantage.
Pierce Infuso was named the Championship’s Most Outstanding Player for his performance on the back line, including a 27-minute stretch down a man to close the title game.
Hofstra (13-3-4) struck first in the 20
th minute off the foot of
Teddy Baker.
Albert Kang chipped a ball to the right side of the goal, where
Bjorn van Gorkom sent it back to Baker to rifle it past the Monmouth keeper for the early lead.
Monmouth (8-4-6) would find the equalizer with 7:08 remaining in regulation on a
Ben Zakowski penalty kick. A Hawks chance in the box was taken away by a hard foul that drew Hofstra’s
Stefan Mason his second booking of the night, resulting in the penalty and a shorthanded Hofstra side the remainder of the contest.
Hofstra held strong in overtime and found the game-winner on Goldthorp’s free kick, as the CAA Player of the Year was taken down inches outside the box and earned the opportunity to lift one over the Hawks and into the back of the goal.
The game ended on a frantic sequence with three Monmouth shots in the final 71 seconds of the contest. The first was cleared off the line by the Hofstra defense and
Wessel Speel stopped his counterpart up from the opposite goal,
Eryk Dymora, with a save with 17 seconds remaining.
The 2-hour, 40-minute game was played with wind chills in the mid-to-high 30s in front of a crowd of 1,600 under the lights at the Hofstra Soccer Stadium, where the Pride won on their home pitch for the third time (2015, 2021).
Hofstra will hear its name called when the NCAA Men’s Soccer Selection Show is held Monday at 1 p.m. on NCAA.com. The Pride entered the week at No. 8 in the RPI.
All-Tournament Team
Pierce Infuso, Hofstra (Most Outstanding Player)
Ryan Carmichael, Hofstra
Eliot Goldthorp, Hofstra
Wessel Speel, Hofstra
Olle Brorsson, Monmouth
Eryk Dymora, Monmouth
Ben Zakowski, Monmouth
Orri Thorhallsson, Delaware
Adam Vik, Delaware
Victor Stromsten, Elon
Tomasz Wroblewski, Elon
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